Today the martyr Esteban Sandor is remembered, who saved 6 young people from dying

This June 8 is commemorated to Blessed Salesian Esteban Sandor, who died martyr for saving 6 young people, in the middle of a strong religious persecution.

His remains were placed in an unknown common grave, and last year they returned victorious to their “house” with the help of science.

Esteban was born in Hungary in 1914. He was excited about Don Bosco reading the “Salesian Bulletin.”

He entered the congregation to form as Salesian coadjtor, that is, lay with religious votes, but interrupted her novitiate for mandatory military service. Upon returning to the community he made his first votes.

In 1942, in the middle of World War II, he again called the Army and turned the trenches into a Salesian area of ​​joy, motivating his teammates.

After the war, he got more involved with those in need to teach them a job of work. He graduated as a printing teacher and his students were the most prominent.

At the end of the war, Hungary became an ally of the Soviet regime and established Marxist communism. The Church was persecuted and Catholic schools were closed. Esteban had to escape, seek refuge and work with another name in public printing.

But, finally, in 1952 he was arrested.

According to the tenth successor of Don Bosco, P. Ángel FernándezBlessed was arrested with 6 young people for considering them traitors to the regime. After an interrogation with torture, Esteban spoke with his teammates and asked them to blame him for everything necessary to save himself.

“Young people resist, but he tells them that because of the friendship that unites them and for faith in Jesus, they have to do so to save their lives,” said Salesian superior.

In this way, Blessed was sentenced to death and others only 8 years in jail.

Esteban Sandor died hanged on June 8, 1953 in Budapest and his body was buried in a common grave. His brother looked for him for many years, but died without getting to him.

After more than 60 years it was possible to find their remains thanks to a former Salesian student and professional experts in history and biology.

The DNA extracted from a Blessed letter served to identify several of its bones.

All relics were deposited in an urn and on June 4, 2022 they were taken to the Church of the Salesian house called Clarisseumwhere Blessed had lived many years.

According to Frernández, 70 years after being expelled, this work was returned to the Salesians.

Pope Francis approved Esteban Sandor’s martyrdom in 2013 and was beatified On October 19 of that same year, during a massive mass in front of the basilica dedicated to the first Christian martyr, San Esteban, in Budapest.